


Like

by FountainPen



Category: Paranatural (Webcomic)
Genre: I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Izzy and Isaac are taking their minigolf secret to the grave, M/M, So is Isaac, Supportive Izzy, ed and izzy both use the phrase go get ur mans, i wrote this instead of doing homework, isaac's the ebodiment of the song i need a hero, just in time for valentines day what, max is so bad at feelings, right after the activity club and the final hole, supportive ed, the pnat tag is so dry these days f, this was so fun to write okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-27 22:11:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17775149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FountainPen/pseuds/FountainPen
Summary: In which feelings are had, mini golf is reminisced about, and grand gestures are (sort of) made.





	Like

It was after Spender had sated the kids’ rage over the Minigolf-spirit-of-friendship-fiasco and driven them each to their respective houses that Max let the event of the evening replay like a horrible Mosquito filled slideshow in his head. He was going to be scratching his leg until he hit bone, most likely.

 

Max did allow himself to smile about the moments before he’d attempted to acquaint his golf club with Spender’s stupid sunglasses that he was wearing _at night_. When he, Isabel and Isaac had been making fun of one another while stalling actually playing minigolf. Max still didn’t think Little League counted as a miniature sport despite the synonym names, but that wasn’t what he was focused on, not that he would ever allow himself admit to that.

 

So Max desperately avoided thinking about the words “ _You’re cute with me.”_ because his face was almost as red as Isaac’s when he said it. It was hard enough for Max to keep his cool around his self proclaimed best friend, and the flustered look on Isaac’s face had planted a strange ache in Max’s chest that he couldn’t identify for the life of him. He felt like he was in a stupid romance novel, which didn't make sense because he didn't  _like_ Isaac. No matter how… look at-able his friend’s face was, the affection Max felt was purely platonic. Probably.

 

He should call Isabel.

 

* * *

 

 

Isaac got home after watching Max and Isabel attempt to commit a homicide fairly exhausted. He told his moms good night and near sprinted straight to his room. Isaac was fairly certain he was dying, and either Max was trying to kill him, or his organs were shutting down from overheating.

 

Isaac’s stomach was in knots that had him pacing around his room, not even bothering to open Crunchyroll and watch _Mini Driver Matsuo_. It took ten minutes for Isaac to finally collapse onto his bed and let out a muffled scream.

 

_What was he thinking!?_ ‘You’re cute with me’? Isaac’s face was getting redder by the second, and it was getting harder and harder to contain the puffy clouds swirling around above him. Finally, Isaac opened up his phone so he could scream to Ed.

* * *

 

 

**_The Weather Man_** _: Ed I’m gonna die_

 

**_Burger_** **_King_** _: did you eat their popcorn?? Bc, I'm pretty sure that was made the day they opened._

 

**_The_** **_Weather_** **_Man_** _: Yes Ed, I ate the Buttered Popcorn_

 

**_Burger King_ ** _: oh so this is a max thing lol_

 

**_The Weather Man_ ** _: UM_

 

**_Burger King_ ** _: thought so_

 

Burger KKing: _What’s the tea_

 

**_The Weather Man_ ** _: Please never say that again_

 

**_Burger King_ ** _: I do what I want peasant_

 

The Weather MMan: _So we’re were talking abt the lack of miniature sports, and I’m like “little league” and Max is like “don’t get cute with me”_

 

**_Burger King_ ** _: oh you poor thing_

 

The Weather MMan: _Shut up I'm not done ssksksksk_

 

Burger KKing: _Proceed you absolute disaster_

 

**_The Weather Man_ ** _: so I’m an idiot, and I'm trying to think of something clever to say, but all that comes out is, and I QUOTE: “I wasn’t- it… it takes one to know- you’re the one who- You’re cute wit m e.”_

 

**_Burger King_ ** _: Isaac_

 

Burger KKing: _My idiot friend_

 

Burger KKing: _How do these things to happen to you?_

 

The Weather MMan: _I don’t KNOW_

 

The Weather MMan: _what do I do ??_

 

**_Burger King_ ** _: Be specific, kid_

 

The Weather MMan: _I’m older than u_

 

**_The Weather Man_ ** _: But okay, how do I stop making an absolute buffoon in front of myself in front of my best friend????_

 

**_Burger King_ ** _: U don’t_

 

**_The Weather Man_ ** _: Thanks ed_

 

**Burger King** : _What I mean is, you’re super dumb, and max is super dumb, so u should say u like him, and make a fool of urself while doing it, and he’ll swoop in and save u from yourself_

 

**_The Weather Man_ ** _: that’s a nice plan but no_

 

**_Burger King_ ** _: Then live and suffer, for the king has spoke_

 

**_The Weather Man_ ** _: It’s Spoken_

 

**_Burger King_ ** _: Yeah well, I’m the king, not u. Go get ur mans_

 

**_The Weather Man_ ** _: I hate you_

 

**_Burger King_ ** _: Hate u 2 <3 _

 

**_The Weather Man_ ** _: Well, I'm gonna go eat some lettuce and cry_

 

**_Burger King_ ** _: Have fun, go ask max out_

 

Isaac was most certainly _not_ going to ‘go get his mans’ as Ed had suggested. There was zero possibility of that happening. But Isaac did like the idea of Max ‘saving him’ whether it was from himself or a dragon-shaped spirit didn’t matter. Isaac opted to succumb to his momentarily forgotten exhaustion and get some sleep.

* * *

 

“Max, you’re just now realizing the massive crush you’ve been harboring on Isaac for the past three months is a thing?” Isabel asked tiredly over the phone. Max cringed.

 

“Okay, but do we _know_ for sure that-”

 

“Max, buddy.” Isabel interrupted. “Do you not recall the words ‘you’re cute with me’? Because I’m almost completely positive that’s why you called.”

 

“Listen, I’m just saying, it might be heart palpations or something.”

 

“A heart palpation that only acts up when you’re around ginger weather mediums.”

 

“Remember that time Isaac came to school in that stupid scarf thing?” Max made a noncommittal grunt, realizing exactly where his friend was going. “Ready to face the music?” Max briefly considered making another grunt but decided that he’d sounded enough like a caveman for one day.

 

“What exactly do you want me to do about this?” Max sighed.

 

“Go get your mans.”

 

“I almost hung up on you. I hope you know that.”

 

“But you didn’t, meaning I have a point,” Isabel said, and Max could practically hear her grinning through the phone.

 

“Yeah well, I dunno if you’ve noticed, but I’m kind of terrible at speaking like a normal human.”

 

Isabel sighed. “Have you listened to a word out of Isaac’s mouth?”

 

“Every last one, thanks.”

 

“Disgusting,” Isabel said. “But seriously you’re both sickeningly adorable disasters so I need you to take one for the team because he’s not gonna do it himself.”

 

“How though!?” Max asked, and Isabel took it as a win because at least he was listening. “Isaac deserves some like, big gesture or something lame like that.”

 

“How is it that you can be so thoughtful yet stupid at the same time?” Isabel asked.

 

“It’s a gift,” Max muttered.

 

“He likes you, you freaking goofball, so you need to talk to him, sort this out, and if you die of heart palpations, I’m not sorry.”

 

“I… Okay,” Max said after a moment of deliberation. “I’ll think on it.”

 

“Night Max. Great job with that hole in one.”

 

“Night Izz, nice job losing to me.” Maxx heard a snort from the other end as he hung up and headed to bed, a little less panicked.

 

* * *

 

 

So Max was stalling. A lot. It had been a week since Isabel had convinced him to talk to Isaac, and every time Max looked at him Isabel would start to cough violently, and Isaac would do that stupid head tilt thing that made Max wonder if he actually _did_ have heart problems.

 

Either way, seven days after mini golf, the Activity Club was sent on another mission, this time Spender assured them it would be a real spirit.

 

In fact, it was staring down at the four kids at that very moment, and its weird rat head was splitting open to reveal a slightly smaller rat head that continued descending. Isaac and Ed were closest to it, and Ed’s hair began fluttering toward the apparent vacuum of what he would later dub the Infinirat.

 

The two dove away from the creature while Max charged from the side with his bat, only to be met with the Infinirat’s surprising agility. Max was pulled forward by the suction, feet coming close to leaving the ground. He dimly thought that it was good he didn’t wear his hat that day as Isaac tackled him out of the Infinirat’s vacuum.

 

Isaac and Max tumbled to the ground, rolling to a stop on the ground next to one another.

 

“Thanks.” Max huffed, sitting up. He was just glad he’d avoided landing on or losing his bat.

 

“No problem.” Isaac winced as he rubbed the shoulder he’d landed on. “Nothing like almost being Kirbied by a giant infinite rat to get the blood pumping.” Max grinned at him.

 

“Did you just use Kirby as a verb?”

 

“Maybe so.” Isaac laughed. And Max thought that it was time for his heart to commit a mutiny against his ribcage. Max hadn’t even stood up and his knees were weak.

 

“Would now be a bad time to say that I like you?” Max blurted suddenly, not recognizing what he’d said until he said it.

 

“I mean, I’d hope you like me, how long have we been friends for?” Isaac replied, still dusting off his jeans.

  

“No, I mean like- Jesus…like-” Max could not believe how magnificently he was screwing this up as what he was trying to say finally dawned on Isaac. “Why is this so hard. Like as in- like _like_ , you know?”

 

“I think I do.” Isaac smiled, and for a moment max and he forgot completely about the fight happening behind them. It took Isaac a good fifteen seconds to finish responding, his words were just as hard to find as they were at mini golf. “And uh no, no actually isn’t um, a bad time. I mean, technically we have a rat to worry about, but uh- yes. Yeah- I- you... I like you too.”

 

“Wait, really!?” Max asked. After the absolute horror show of a sentence Max had verbalized, he was sure Isaac would laugh in his face for a solid minute before asking him to move out of Mayview.

 

“Really,” Isaac said. Isaac offered a hand to Max, and when he was off the ground, Isaac didn’t let go. “We’ve got a spirit to contain. You up for it?”

 

Max’s traitorous heart kept beating. He looked down at his and Isaac’s hands, and then back up at Isaac, who was still smiling that soft smile that gave Max what he might now admit were butterflies.

 

“Yeah, I think I am.”


End file.
